“Celebrity Spelling Bee” Oct. 20 to Benefit Motivate Our Minds

Students in the Super Spellers Club at Motivate Our Minds compete in a practice bee, complete with "microphone."Students in the Super Spellers Club at Motivate Our Minds compete in a practice bee, complete with "microphone." Photo provided.

By: Michelle Kinsey—

MUNCIE – Motivate Our Minds is buzzing with excitement!

MOMs will have its first “Celebrity Spelling Bee” Oct. 20 at Cornerstone Center for the Arts.

A pre-event reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the spelling will begin at 6.

Teams led by local celebrities will be competing for the prestigious traveling Celebrity Spelling Bee trophy, along with prizes for the biggest fundraiser and more.

“Hosting our first-ever celebrity spelling bee is a fun and entertaining departure from our annual fundraising dinner and a natural fit for Motivate Our Minds,” said Monique Armstrong, Executive Director of MOMs.

The public is invited to attend and cheer on the teams and, most importantly, support MOMs, which is about to celebrate 30 years of educating children and families.

“MOMs has been known for our after school program and our summer enrichment program, including our Growing Entrepreneurs garden program,” said Daniel Stallings, MOMs board past president and one of the organizers of the bee. “This summer, with the generous support of the Ball Brothers Foundation, MOMs started a bee hive and we have a team of student apiarists (bee keepers). The Celebrity Spelling Bee celebrates our academic and environmental strengths by celebrating 2016 as the year of the MOMs bee hives!”

Teams will include the City of Muncie, led by Mayor Dennis Tyler; First Merchants, led by President Scott McKee; IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, led by IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital residents; Ball State Federal Credit Union, led by Brian Winchester; Vice President of Information Technology, and Mutual Bank, led by Jamie Faulkner, Vice President of Marketing.

Master of Ceremonies will be Dale Basham. Judges will be Michelle Kinsey, Community Engagement Coordinator for WIPB-TV and Indiana Public Radio, and Mitch Isaacs, Executive Director of the Shafer Leadership Academy.

Students from MOMs will also participate.

“The children are the centerpiece of everything that we do,” Armstrong said. “In an attempt to increase their likelihood of success, each adult celebrity team will include a Motivate Our Minds student.”MOMs, with the help of WIPB-TV, has started a Super Spellers Club to help students develop their vocabulary and public speaking skills.

A Super Spellers Club member will also serve as one of the judges for the bee, Armstrong added.

The fun-filled evening will also include music from Peterson & Dunn, a light meal, dessert and a cash bar.

The bee is made possible with help from MOMs Partners In Education (PIE) – First Merchants Bank, Navient Foundation, Muncie Power Products, Meridian Health Services, MutualBank and Wicks Pies – along with the contributions of Douglas and Kathy White and Karen Wenger. This event is also made possible by the generous support of Cornerstone Center for the Arts, Vera Mae’s Bistro and Sight & Sound Productions.

For tickets or more information, go to motivateourminds.org or call (765) 289-1990.